Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Month after month legacy CPG companies are
experiencing a decline is volume. The
decline is being driven in large part by fresh prepared Ready-2-Eat and
Heat-N-Eat food; that is driving top line growth in every sector of retail
foodservice today including restaurants, grocery, c-store and drug stores.

Increasing top line revenue, customer continuity,
bottom line profits in the food industry should be an ongoing focus of all retailers.
Customer continuity means maintaining a level of excitement in your menu or
food products that drive contemporized relevance for your customer in order to
maintain or increase frequency levels.

Each food retailer’s
goal should be creating or identifying distinctive differentiated food
consumable’s as an entity with identity by day part. Understanding the unique balance between
palate, price, pleasure and the consumer’s drive for qualitative distinctive
differentiated new food consumables will place you in a select industry
grouping. Research with a focus on the
grocerant niche will help you get there.

The food value
proposition equilibrium for the consumer today balances; better for you, flavor, and traditional products all blendedinto something with a twist. In industry speak, differentiated does not
mean different to the consumer it means familiar. Private label brand managers have been
contributing by expanding quality offerings while displacing national
brands. Are you edifying your menu or
product offerings?

Outside eyes can
bring new light and assist in your pace of growth, redevelopment and deployment
of your new menus with appropriate COG’s. Foodservice Solutions is very good at
assisting people reach their goals. The grocerant niche is in need of private
label brand managers to assist in building long term brand value for both
individual product and brands.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Ready-2-Eat and Ready-2-Drink success is in part being fueled
by the growing immediate growth in time deprived and yet inquisitive consumers
quest for new flavors and personal discovery. Ryan Owens of Anglesmith explains
how this “Try-Before-You-Buy” is expanding with new technology.

Many regional grocery stores are discovering that when it
comes to selling wine in December, traditional holiday promotions are just a
small part of the overall strategy. The real work for achieving success in the
wine aisle during the holiday season starts much earlier and takes place
througout the year.

Facing stiff competition from big-box discount stores like
Sam’s Club and Costco, many smaller, regional grocery stores are putting a new
emphasis on customer service and employee education.Friendly, personal attention and well-trained employees with a
deep knowledge of wine are giving the big discount stores a run for their
money.

BUILDING TRUST

The scale of local and regional grocery stores means that
they usually have a more approachable, hometown atmosphere and managers are
taking advantage of this by hosting wine tasting events to help build deeper
connections and develop greater loyalty with their customers.

“Wine tastings are good events to get customers excited about
new wines,” said Trac Le, Wine Buyer at Bi-Rite market in San Francisco. “We do
events in our off-site community space where our customers can relax and have
fun while we let them taste the new releases. We like to educate our customers
that way.”

Many stores are taking it a step further by installing
self-serve wine dispensing and preservation systems, like those designed by Napa Technology, that keep wine
fresh for long periods, reduce spoilage and allow customers to taste wine whenever
the store is open.

“It’s all part of a larger try-before-you-buy trend in wine
sales,” says Jayne Portnoy, Vice President, Marketing and Brand Strategy, at
Napa Technology in Campbell, California. “Grocery stores are starting to
realize that wine tastings lead to more bottle and case sales.”

INVESTING IN EDUCATION

A number of grocery store wine buyers expect staff to taste
new wines and attend extensive training sessions to help customers make better
choices. “We have our employees taste the wine they’re selling so they can make
good recommendations to our customers,” Kevin Forsaith, Wine Director at
Draeger’s Market in Menlo Park, California.

But the trend is not limited to the West Coast. Southwestern
grocery store H.E.B., based in San Antonio, has an extensive training program
for wine department management and staff who are trained by the Wine &
Spirit Education Trust. In addition to the in-depth staff training, H.E.B. also
installed WineStations in high-profile locations to encourage customers to
taste and get to know which wines are right for them.

DECISION TIME

Having been treated with special attention at tasting events
all year long, customers have come to rely on their local stores so much that
by the time the holidays roll around, they know which wines they want to buy
and where to buy it.

“We usually do one Champagne tasting the first week in
December to kick things off and that’s all we need to get the sales going,”
says Forsaith. “Around the holidays, we get so busy we don’t host our regular
tastings in the last three weeks leading up to Christmas because we have so
many regular customers that need our help.”

Installing wine dispensing systems that let customers taste
wine whenever they shop and hosting regular wine tasting events help create a
convivial atmosphere that cements loyalty between customers and their local
supermarket. Strategic thinking throughout the year means that when it comes
time for supermarkets to sell wine during holidays, the customers just show up
like magic.

This was a guest blog provided by Ryan Owens account
executive at anglesmith. Success leaves clues and Foodservice Solutions® likes
to share success clues. For more visit: www.FoodserviceSolutions.us

Friday, December 27, 2013

Culinary
Visions Panel, a food focused insight and trend forecasting firm based in Chicago. Has released its view
of what themes will be successful in the
coming year. They are:

Deliciousness as a Lifestyle Choice: Food has to be delicious to
appeal to consumers -- from the value conscious to the gourmet. When consumers
are asked to list the most delicious foods, that list often includes some of
the most notorious processed foods of minimal nutritional value. Yet when
consumers are presented with provocative menu descriptions that focus on taste,
flavors and ingredients, they will often rate the more healthful items as
highly desirable. At the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association Conference
this year, chairperson Voni Woods, senior director of deli at Giant Eagle, inspired attendees with her
personal commitment to helping consumers of all income levels understand that
there are no evil ingredients; balance and mindfulness of portion sizes can
inspire all consumers to make deliciousness their lifestyle choice.

Seeking
balance: Consumers want to be
in charge of balancing their choices and enjoy the freedom to indulge when they
choose as part of an overall healthy lifestyle. Culinary Visions Panel research
shows that consumers evaluate various types of food venues differently when
they balance their choices. The research covered away from home venues
including quick service, casual dining, convenience stores, cafeterias at
school and at work, gourmet retail and supermarket delis and bakeries.

Escape
from deprivation: The concept of
banning foods does not work on school and college campuses and it fails in the
commercial market as well. Identifying “villainous” ingredients is on the way
out. The future is about reformulating, and many food manufacturers are making
subtle changes to product formulations to create more healthful profiles
without compromising enjoyment for consumers.

Minimalism: When consumers look at labels, they
want to see ingredients that sound more like a recipe than a science formula.
“Homemade” is the term used often by young consumers and adults to describe a
high-quality experience. Scale and uniformity are not in style as consumers are
enjoying foods that look less processed, or more like they have come from a
kitchen than a factory. Clean ingredient statements are often at the top of the
criteria list for manufacturer product development teams. Just look to some of
the leading private brands to see what’s trending with mainstream consumers,
words like "real," "pure" and "simple"
abound.

Invisibly
healthy: Seductively healthy
foods that provide the satisfaction of “junk” food are finding favor with
consumers. Fun packaging and contemporary marketing are adding new appeal to
healthy produce snacks like blueberries and carrots. The salty, crunchy
satisfaction of packaged snacks is now available in a variety of sizes and
includes many different types of vegetables like kale and sweet potatoes.

All-day
satisfaction: College campuses
are on the cutting edge of understanding the consumer of tomorrow. Few
professionals are as adept at the all-day balancing act as those that must
satisfy customers who sometimes shop on campus five to six times a day and
expect fresh food at all times. In a spirited discussion at an industry
conference this year, a college operator warned her commercial colleagues that
when today’s students graduate they will bring their high expectations for
quality and service with them. On college campuses, the day and night dichotomy
of indulgence is commonplace. During daytime hours the demand is for healthy,
mindful eating, but when the sun goes down indulgence is what sells.

Idealism
meets reality: More mindful of the
realities of embracing eating local, consumers are learning that integrity can
still exist with some mindful compromise. When large food companies and
restaurant chains get involved in supporting their local communities, they are
finding favor with mainstream consumers who want to enjoy their meals and have
a clear conscience.

Mindfulness
of brand language: Consumers use many
criteria to evaluate healthfulness, including ingredients, emotion and social
concern. Traditional free-from claims are moving to more contemporary claims
that sell fresh and homemade with clean ingredient statements. Ethical food is
becoming a cue for healthy. Descriptive words without a standard of identity
have proliferated to the point that they have become meaningless. Consumers are
more inclined to seek out the source and understand their food philosophy
rather than pick up products with unsupported claims like natural or artisan.
Leading food manufacturers and food retailers are making it easy for consumers
to connect with their philosophy in statements on their website and practices
in their businesses.

Marketers
mindful of earning consumer trust:
Trust is a significant factor in brand choices. Consumers want companies they
trust to deliver nourishing, great tasting food with respect for those who
produce it and the planet. Millennial consumers in particular are evaluating
companies not only on their products and their brands, but also on their
corporate conscience. Today’s consumer is active and in charge when it comes to
the foods they like and the places they like to eat. When surveyed about
sources they trust, friends, family and social networks outrank marketing
messages. Savvy marketers have learned how to stimulate or join the conversation,
not just react to fallout.

Transformation
of the consumer: Technology has made
everything “smart,” empowering consumers with information to fuel their
decision making and helping them make more mindful choices about what they
choose to eat and drink. Economic conditions have created a new scrutiny of
value by consumers across every socio-economic level. Enabled by technology and
social networks, consumers are smart and connected.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

It’s
that time of year when research firms look forward. So when we read these five from Julia
Gallo-Torres, category manager, U.S. foodservice reports for Mintel, poses five key U.S. foodservice
trends for 2014, we wanted to share them. They are:

Fast-casual
pulls ahead: The
impressive growth of the fast-casual segment of foodservice demonstrates
consumers, who are still focused on price and are willing to pay more for
foods they consider to be of better quality or healthier, said
Gallo-Torres. A slew of new concepts focusing on customization, speed of
service and convenience, have sprouted. These include higher quality
burger chains; concepts more firmly focused on health, and a rash of pizza
restaurants that can deliver a fully-cooked, customized pizza in a matter
of minutes.

Premium proves
practical: Full-service
concepts are mimicking the winning ways of fast-casual restaurants. For
example, several full-service brands are testing or have launched concepts
that utilize the speedier fast-casual service model. This is important,
especially during the lunch rush, she said, when consumers don't have the
time to wait. Other tactics include launching healthier, more flavorful
menu items and employing technology to speed up the dining experience.

Open-book
business practices: More
than ever, foodservice consumers are questioning the origin of their foods
and they are demanding transparency not only in ingredient sourcing, but
in general business practices, including the treatment of animals and
employees. Gallo-Torres said consumers are interested in patronizing
restaurants and buying brands that reflect their own values. Concepts that
understand this and offer more information about their green practices or
the causes they support stand to reap the rewards of increased loyalty.

Due demographic
diligence: Operators
have been obsessed with Millennials. It's understandable, as
they are the ones most likely to dine out in almost every restaurant
segment. However, other demographics also present growing opportunities,
such as the growing number of Hispanics, who tend to dine out in larger
groups. Their spending power is expected to reach nearly $1.7 trillion by
2017, meaning serving this rapidly expanding
community will be key to growth. Women visit restaurants less than men,
and this is likely due to their being more health- and budget-conscious.
This indicates restaurants need to do more in terms of pricing, atmosphere
and menu to gain momentum with women. Baby boomers enjoy dining out and
have more disposable income than other demographics, but few marketing
campaigns specifically target them.

Technology and
interface revolution: Restaurants are increasingly using technology to cut
service times, and to offer loyalty programs, promotions and discounts
electronically. Furthermore, in-store tabletop tablets and menu boards
offer nutritional and other information, while reducing order, wait and check
out times. Brands are redesigning their websites to allow consumers to
gain all the information they want with as few clicks as possible. This
includes making their sites more attractive and useful via smartphones,
which consumers rely on more and more for staying organized and gaining
information.

Since 1991 retail
food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global
leader in the Grocerant niche. Visit: www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

What is in store for 2014 according to Foodservice Solutions®
Grocerant Guru “continue growth of Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared
food in ever expanding non-traditional points of distribution.

The team at Foodservice Solutions® has regularly defined the
Grocerant as an evolution of consumer, technology and convenience regularly at
presentations around the world and on this blog.

Harvey Hartman and his outstanding team at The Hartman Group
think it is growing so fast that it has now become disruptive to the food
retail sector. Here are Harvey Hartman’s
teams list of seven trends that
disrupted food culture in 2013:

Snacks, the Modern Meal?

Consumers’ pursuit of snacks continues unabated. They now
account for more than half of all eating occasions, rendering the word itself
almost obsolete. What we used to think of as snacks—food eaten between
meals—has morphed into something so frequent and large that they are
practically meals themselves. People want healthy, less processed snacks that
are easy to carry, something food companies are still working to deliver.

Social Media Disrupt Food
Culture

Sorry, Mom; you’ve been replaced as the go-to source for
culinary questions. People consult social media sites instead for cooking tips,
restaurant reviews and recipes (Allrecipes.com is a top-10 most used social
media site). They see friends post photographs of their meals on Facebook and text
family members with questions and grocery-shelf photos while they shop. Social
media amplify the power of personal recommendations, which now can reach
millions of people in a day.

Online Grocery, Still Coming

The Internet shapes the way people grocery shop, showing them
dishes around the world without their having to leave home and demonstrating,
via food blogs and videos, how to cook those same foods. The part that has not
worked so far is online grocery shopping, and The Hartman Group’s research shows
54 percent of people online say they are not likely to buy food there.
Nevertheless, 2013 brought the long-awaited expansion of Amazon Fresh’s online
grocery business, and many other online food purveyors—from Relay Foods to Blue
Apron—have big followings.

It’s Not About the Coffee

As McDonald’s tries to compete with Starbucks, selling espresso
drinks and talking about where it buys (“sources”) its coffee, Starbucks is
revamping its food case again, and Dunkin’ Donuts is expanding westward. Some
call these the “coffee wars,” but the war is actually for consumers’ hearts.
While Starbucks’ roast is dark and Dunkin’s is light, the people who align themselves
with each brand are attracted at least as much to the experience as to the
roast—and they transfer that loyalty to purchases of coffee beans on grocery shelves.

Food Competition Everywhere

Consumers are likely to buy food almost anywhere now, from Ikea
to Costco Wholesale to a Manhattan steakhouse planned by Brooks Brothers. People no longer fit
their food needs around the hours and layouts of traditional grocery stores.
Their new shopping patterns stoke competition and allow them to grab snacks on
the go and assemble meals from food bought at multiple stores. Even when people
do plan a meal, they are just as likely to ditch their plan for a restaurant
craving, bringing every food source into the competitive arena.

Beating Fast Food at Its Own
Game

Supermarkets that listen to their customers—Whole Foods,
Wegmans, H-E-B’s Central Market—offer fresh, healthy food that is easy to grab
on the go. Many outdo fast food at its own, make-it-while-you-wait game,
creating a bit of theater in the process. Diane Earle, senior director of
prepared foods at United Supermarkets in Texas, nailed it when she told Supermarket News that cooking in front of
customers enhances their perception that the food is fresh—precisely what
consumers want.

Sustainability and the Good
Company

The Hartman Group has known for years that companies do not have
to be perfect for consumers to value their sustainability efforts, but they do
have to communicate. People continue to tell us that they want to know what
efforts are under way, from taking care of animals to reducing environmental
impacts, so they can feel good about what they’re buying—and sustainable
purchasing typically starts with food.

Since 1991 retail
food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader
in the Grocerant niche. Visit: www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Driving success Walgreens
continues to expand the depth and direction of Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and
Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food. The grocerant niche is a result of the
blurring of the line between restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores,
and drug stores all selling fresh prepared, portable convenient meal solutions.

Walgreens has targeted at the
time-starved consumer with Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food
components that are “better for you”, portable and portioned for one or two.
Walgreens gets it and is positioning for a much larger share of the food
retailing dollar. At 4PM you may soon be
picking up dinner on your way home from work at Walgreens.

In a
program first rolled out in the San Francisco bay area you can now find fresh fruits and vegetables, salads, sushi ,
sandwiches and Heat-N-Eat meat loaf. In addition Walgreens spokesman Robert
Elifinger stated “ Our San Francisco area customers are already buying a lot of
food in our stores, and there are requests for more product offerings," he
said.

In addition to the items listed above - and
Walgreens' more traditional offerings, including candy, potato chips and soda -
there'll be meats, wraps, soups "and other on-the-go meal options, as well
as convenient alternatives for tonight's meal,"

With this new market test underway, Walgreens is
now testing fresh food in New York via Duane-Reade, Chicago and the San
Francisco bay area. For all of my regular readers you have heard it hear before
but this trend is sweeping the country from coast to coast.

These expanded points of distribution may well
challenge many a legacy fresh food retailer including chain restaurants,
grocery stores and convenience stores for market share.

Since 1991 retail
food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global
leader in the Grocerant niche. Visit:
FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Foodservice Solutions® GrocerantGuru™ Steven Johnson knows better
than anyone in the industry that consumers think that Ready-2-Eat and
Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food is “Better for You”.

One grocer understands it as well.
Hy-Vee plans to add inside an additional 50 store either a new Market
Grille restaurant or Market Café in 2014. In research conducted by Foodservice
Solutions® a 2011 study found that a 1PM 81% of consumers do not know what they
are having for dinner and at 4PM a whopping 69% do not know “What’s for
Dinner”.

Hy-Vee has found success with in store “foodservice” and even more
success as they elevated that foodservice into a restaurant. Hy-Vee’s Market
Grill restaurants have waiters and waitresses a full bar and menus that include
steak and seafood entrees. Market Cafés, fit in smaller locations and have a
pared down menu of soups, salads and sandwiches, along with beer and wine but
no cocktails.

Mix and Match meal bundling a restaurant dinner with a little
shopping is multi-tasking at its best for a food retailer and Hy-Vee may have
found a solution for customers at 4PM wondering just What’s for Dinner”?

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Church’s
Chicken, Popeyees, KFC all are operating under the umbrella of a 1955 style
franchise operating agreement. The
evolving retail food space has yet another new franchise model that threatens
legacy restaurant operators. Struggling
KFC may have more to worry about than just Popeyees.

When
Shawn Burchman CEO of Champs Chicken and his team identified and qualified a
plethora of commonalities of its most successful and fastest-growing partners
they may have in the process developed as a by-product a new franchise model
that will become the most disruptive franchise model developed in the past 50
years. Think fresh fast food Chicken in
Dollar General Stores, Dollar Tree, Rite Aid or Arby’s.

Champs Chicken franchise model is a business-within-a-business operation
that requires no upfront fees or ongoing
royalties, according to a champs news release. Champs Chicken will offer
marketing development funds to franchisees in order to boost advertising and
promotional efforts, including take-out menus, coupons and billboards.

Burcham stated “We’ve
been able to develop these corporate-funded programs due to our continued
growth and the efficiency created from our new national distribution center…
“Further, we’re accomplishing this while staying true to our approach of not
charging our operators royalty fees.”

The Champ
Chicken franchise program includes dual
digital menu boards with remote cloud-based technology and a touchscreen point-of-sale (POS)
ordering system, which enables retailers to completely monitor inventory and
sales.

“The biggest step up
is the new POS system,” Burcham said. “With this, retailers will receive
real-time data and know exactly what’s selling, which price promotions are
working, and be better able to manage labor and waste. This system, coupled with
the significant marketing development funds, will prove to make our
independently owned locations more profitable.”

Do you
want to add Chicken to your menu? Learn more about Champs Chicken by visiting
its website, www.champschicken.com, or calling toll-free (888) 581-9188

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Where is your customer having lunch today? Is there birthday party at work? Are the In-Laws
coming over for your teenager’s birthday party? Are you friends helping you
build the fence that fell apart during the last snow storm? Success does leave
clues and one clue is all restaurants are operating in an Omni-channel retail
environment branded restaurants must as well or risk losing customers.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is one of the most successful
branded restaurants in the United States. In a move to extend the brand
Chipotle has announced that it is rolling out a catering program nationally. No longer will Chipotle be
excluded from homes, offices, or backyard work parties. The catering program is a platform for
expanding into new consumer occasions reaching out to new consumer touch points
extending the brand.

Chipotle’s catering program offers four
different meal options and can serve between six and 200 people. Two of the
four options, the Two Meat Spread and the Big Spread, allow consumers to create
their own taco, burrito, or bowl, just as they would in the restaurant.

One of Chipotle's options features an assortment of
premade burritos. The prepared Burritos by the Box option allows customers to
pick a protein and white or brown rice for the filling, but has three fixed
additions: black beans, fresh tomato salsa, and cheese. This option serves six
or more people, and for every two burritos, Chipotle includes a bag of chips,
tomatillo-green chili salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. Unlike the other
options, it does not need to be ordered in advance.

Success does leave clues and Chipotle consumer focused
catering options extend the halo of the brand from the brick and mortar to the
home a much more inviting space.

Foodservice Solutions®
specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify,
quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand
leveraging integration strategy.

www.FoodserviceSolutions.us
of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche
visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or
twitter.com/grocerant.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

What
has been roumered about Starbucks selling carbonated coffee must be driving
Coca Cola and Pepsi wild. In test markets around the globe only, Starbucks is
letting it’s customers carbonate not just juces and sodas but a selection of
its coffee and tea beverages as well.

This
coffee beheamouth just may be jumping on the soda stream bandwagon of
customization, personalization in a way that neither Pepsi or Coca Cola can
compete today.It’s akin to David taking
on Goliath with bubbles.

Braking
new ground with new hit beverages the ilk of Frappuccio is nothing new for
Starbucks. This time the “handcrafted sodas” that the company has been secretly
testing using Sodastream-like carbonation machines behind the counters to add
fizz to beveragres may become the Next
Big Thing within the coffee sector.

The
test stores are reported in Japan, Singapore, Atlanta, and Austin, Texas.In a move that spess branded success
Starbusck has moved forwares to trademark the name FIZZIO.In fact CEO Howard Schultz has called out
soda as a new initative for the coffee gaint moving forward.

Success
does leave clues and Starbucks understands that the customer is dynamic not
static and there is no doubt that Starbucks success is rooted in continuing to
test and grow with dynamic not static innovation.

The price, value,
service equilibrium is resetting in retail foodservice. In order to edify the
brand and reinforce consumer relevance restaurateurs must integrate Foodservice
Solutions® 5P's of food marketing in order to maintain
consumer relevance.

New channels and avenues
of distribution are evolving with consumers, driven in many cases by technology
and consumers increasing desire for fresh prepared Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat
food.

Many legacy food retailers continue to practice brand
protectionism, stifling the brand while diminishing consumer relevance. Doing
what you have done, where you have done it, the same way you have for the past
25 years simply does not work any longer.The consumer is dynamic not static. Brands must be dynamic, evolving
with the consumer. Success in the restaurant or Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat
fresh prepared food space is no longer simply about what happens within your 4
walls.

Foodservice Solutions®
specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify,
quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand
leveraging integration strategy.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Have
you heard of Amazon Spotlight?It is a
service that Amazon.com is testing in Seattle, WA where Amazon contracts with
local restaurants for proprietary menu item recipes, cooks the item in a Amazon
owned kitchen and delivers the food fresh to consumers.Then Amazon pay’s the restaurant a fee per order
sold.This allows local restaurant the
ability to expand without a opening a new storefront or buying additional
equipment.

Marketing,
advertising and building top line sales and bottom line profits within the
restaurant space is evolving much faster than most restaurants and even faster
than most chain restaurants want to even think about. What does your business
model look like 1980 or 2020?

In a new study in a titled “Growth Strategies: Unlocking the
Power of the Consumer,” by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and PwC, found
that 40% of CPG companies plan to sell
products directly to consumers this year, finding direct-to-consumer effective
for testing new products and growing their consumer base. Yes, bypassing the
Dollar Store and Grocery Store. How do you test products today?

New avenues of distribution are popping up all
the time.Which have you tired?Are you expanding your brand or placing
limits on it?In our Omni-channel retail world have you looked to see where else your
customers are buying food? Consumer are not eating less they are eating
somewhere else restaurant customer migration continues.

The consumer today while still time-starved, is exploring new flavors
profiles, and new non-traditional points of distribution. Restaurant
chains today must be creating or identifying from existing products or product
lines distinctive differentiated food consumable’s as an entity with identity by day part.

Then
position those uniquely branded products in multiple non-traditional avenues of
distribution that complement existing restaurant locations while embracing
consumers.

Brand growth can no longer be new store growth only in our
Omni-channel retail world. Today, restaurant brand managers must understand the
unique balance between palate, price, pleasure and the consumer’s drive for
qualitative distinctive differentiated new food consumables in all channels
including direct to consumer.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Applebee’s customers may from time to time complain
about waiting for a check; however, it is not common place.Applebee’s customer service is a key
differentiation driver of top line sales and bottom line profits, separating
Applebee’s from the competition.

Success does leave clues and restaurant marketing
maven Julia Stewart CEO of Applebee’s parent DineEquity has learned the
consumer is dynamic and brands must be dynamic as well. That is another reason
that both Applebee’s and DineEquity is considered a sector leaders.

Each of DineEquity current concepts
integrates consumer interaction and participation.Digital table tables are a consumer relevant
extension of brand value, elevating consumer interactivity and participation.

Global brands must lead, follow or end up falling
away.Digital table tablets are common
in Australia, Asia, and Europe.In fact Hudson
Riehle, senior vice president of research at the National Restaurant
Association thinks "Looking out over the next decade, it will become
fairly routine for consumers in table service restaurants to use tablets to
view menus, place orders and pay bills,"

Interested
in learning how the 5P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand
while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation
and individualization contact us via Email us at: info@FoodserivceSolutions.us

Steven Johnson is Grocerant Guru at Tacoma,
WA based Foodservice Solutions, with extensive experience as a multi-unit
operator, consultant and brand/product positioning. Since 1991
Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the
Grocerant niche.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Wal-Mart, Win-Co, and Aldi
today are focused on the consumer and competitive food pricing.Each has a strong brand value that is driving
top line growth and bottom line profits while opening new units.Win-Co and Aldi each have created a unique
non-traditional approach to in-store shopping and product pricing.Wal-Mart has a more traditional in-store
shopping experience.

Win-Co and Aldi are growing
fast and capturing new loyal customers.Grocery retail is about to get a wake-up call. That call will be unsettling for legacy
grocery store chains once solidly planted in the middle and formed the
foundation of the industry.

That wake-up call is from a
not so new competitor.The entrant is
Dollar General Stores, targeting price conscious consumers with new fresh food grocery
stores.The Tampa Tribune reported that
“The prices on strawberries are great, same with
milk. And though the bananas may be on the ripe side for some people’s taste,
they’re cheaper than Publix by a significant margin.”

Dollar
General has been on the company’s cherry picking CPG products and underpricing the
grocery store sector.They have for
years been hurting legacy grocery sector margins and yet growing at a rate 5
times faster than any grocery store the past 10 years.Having learned that a smaller footprint,
lower prices are what consumers want.Dollar General is poised to garner grocery market share from legacy
companies the ilk of Publix, Safeway and Marsh.

To-date Dollar General has only built about 100 of
these grocery stores nationwide, and 14 are in Florida. If Dollar General
continues up-dating and replacing older stores with these new fresh food
grocery stores legacy Wal-Mart may evolve from Low to Middle in food retailing
the high end with continue to be fueled by Whole Foods, Wegmans, Trader Joe’s
what will happen to the rest of the players?

www.FoodserviceSolutions.us Steven Johnson is Grocerant Guru at Tacoma,
WA based Foodservice Solutions, with extensive experience as a multi-unit
operator, consultant and brand/product positioning. Since 1991
Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the
Grocerant niche

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

In a new study by Daymon Worldwide
titled Men on a Mission the report found that “52 percent of primary
male shoppers in the United States were personally responsible for about 78
percent of all groceries purchased for their household in the last month.”Simply put who are you targeting in your
ad’s?

Carla Cooper CEO of Daymon Worldwide
stated: “"While females and mothers have long been the focus for grocery
retailers, males and fathers now represent a major business opportunity,".
"We've seen a few recent 'snapshot' male shopper studies that have
quantified this demographic segment, but we felt strongly that we needed to
provide the industry with a more comprehensive analysis of exactly who these
male shoppers are, what they believe about themselves and how they differ from
each other. These are the building blocks for retailers and manufacturers to
create the right mix of products and services to maximize purchases and
increase loyalty."

Andres Siefken, Daymon Worldwide's
chief marketing officer went on saying "Nearly 50 percent of all U.S. men
make mission-oriented trips to shop for a specific item or group of items,
including takeout to eat at home," said. "Additionally, 60 percent of
male shoppers are personally responsible for all or nearly all of their
household's grocery shopping." Restaurants selling Ready-2-Eat and
Heat-N-Eat need to focus on men in both segments.

The Men on a Mission the study
found that male shoppers can be segmented into six archetypes they are:

Traditional Male (15 percent) -- A slightly older group
of men who are more set in their ways and would like to turn back the clock to
more traditional gender roles. They are big fans of home cooking, but likely
believe it should be done by the woman of the house.

Modern-Day Male (12 percent) -- These are more
forward-thinking male shoppers that believe in equality and enjoy being active
participants in sharing household chores and cooking. They also enjoy
home-cooked meals, but might prefer being the actual chef.

Primal Male (14 percent)
-- This group tends to be older and often believes they are the dominant sex
and can better handle cooking and shopping roles compared to their female
counterparts.

Confused Male (19 percent) -- This younger group of
men tends to be in a state of confusion when it comes to gender roles. Possibly
unconsciously, they think women should do the cooking and cleaning, but another
part of them doesn't want to offend women and looks to appease them. They also
often struggle with their identity and hesitate to show off their feminine
side.

Discerning Male (20 percent) -- These highly educated
men usually command a higher income and share many similar traits to the
Modern-Day male archetype as they also believe in equality, supporting their
spouse in any way needed, and owning many of the household chores. They are
more involved in food shopping and focus on the highest-quality options. They
are also somewhat more likely to tap into their feminine side.

In addition with the six distinct
archetypes, the study also identified six specific types of
"mission-oriented," occasion-based shopping trips:

Well MAN-nered (13 percent) -- Male shoppers who go on
this mission are seeking to purchase items that show that they care and to
accommodate special entertaining occasions that will allow them to impress
their families and friends while enjoying the process. The "Confused
Male" shopper often falls into this segment.

Stockpiling the Man Cave (10 percent) -- Male shoppers that take
this less sophisticated, "search and retrieve" approach to shopping
usually do so in preparation for entertaining or hosting a more informal
gathering like tailgates for sporting events, game nights or hanging out with
friends. The "Primal Male" archetype often falls into this segment.

On DeMANd (23 percent) -- Quick and easy
convenience is the endgame for male shoppers who go on these types of missions
as they look to pick up something quick for dinner, either from the grocery
store or takeout from a restaurant. The "Traditional Male" archetype
often falls into this segment.

Man-Shape (13 percent) -- This trip is all about
achieving a healthier lifestyle. Male shoppers on this mission are willing to
take their time to explore the store to find their favorite healthy product
offerings, or even try something new. Both the "Discerning" and
"Heckled" male shopper archetypes often fall into this segment.

Crowd MANagement (26 percent) -- This mission-oriented
trip calls for more robust shopping occasions geared to finding something for
everyone at the table. These trips are usually done early in the day, and
involve browsing and searching for appealing options. The "Modern-Day
Male" archetype often falls into this segment.

Man-riety (15 percent) -- These occasions are
about switching things up or trying something different. There is an
exploration component to these trips as shoppers are looking for something out
of the ordinary. The "Confused Male" shopper often falls into this
segment.